What's happenin'

Some outsiders might look at my life and think I am pretty boring....or perhaps insane to teach in the summer months, too. I teach summer school in June and teach Kindergarteners in July. I do have a week off here and a week off there, but no, I don't have (or I should say, I don't take) the "three months off" that society thinks we get.

The funny thing is that I am happy, I haven't been this happy and content in years. I really enjoy teaching! True, it is challenging and there are no two days that are the same and sometimes we deal with crabby parents, but still, I love it! I can't imagine doing anything else.

Perhaps what people say about getting older really is true, that you just become more comfortable with the world and your place in it.

I'm sure it will sound dorky, but what can I say? Life is good! :)

Great website!!!

This website is so amazing I had to share! Plus for those of us who aren't the most techy of people...this site even has videos to help!

http://www.friedtechnology.com/

Check this out! (Section 4)

Check out this blog:

http://mrcsclassblog.blogspot.com/

and then click on the You Tube Video

Hall of Fame Noel Elementary Style

Comment below and let me know what you think of the video and the song they used.

Pinterest

I am probably the last person on the planet to have recently discovered Pinterest....but it's amazing!! Clearly, I'm not telling you something, you don't already know...but WOWZA!!! I love it!!

Thanks to Pinterest we had a new art lesson today! :)

First we watched a You Tube video as the artist illustrated how to make Zendalas. Check out this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=C4Nlz4XMxcs

What is a Zendala? It is a cross between the Mandala and Zentangle styles of drawing.

My students loved this activity! Plus they felt very adult getting to use black sharpies! :)

Technology helps.

I'm currently teaching summer school to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. We are learning about various artists and then letting their art work inspire us to make our own.

Today I used the rover cart and my laptop to show the students images of Frank Llyod Wright's work. Without this technology it would have much more difficult to show the students some of Frank Lloyd Wright's glass design.

Brilliant Idea - Gracie's Gear

I recently discovered this company and I have been trying to share it with everyone I know because I think it is a brilliant idea.

Go to this website and check it out! Her story is really touching!

http://www.graciesgearandtraining.com/




Here's another photo:




Hopefully you will think this idea is as brilliant as I do! :)

2012-2013 School Year

A year in review....

This was my first year teaching in a middle school setting and wowza what a difference! Previously, I taught 6th grade in an elementary school, but I took advantage of a teacher retiring and applied for my current position at a middle school.

Since I had taught 6th grade just the previous year, some of my 6th graders were entering middle school as 7th graders and it was great to see them and to have them in class! They seemed fairly excited to see me, too. Middle school is a totally different environment and both my students and I were like deer in headlights the first week or so of school. I think they found comfort in the fact that I also didn't know my way around the school and that I also didn't know anyone but them.

As with my students, we all got used to the fast paced life of middle school, the bells ringing every 43 minutes, kids speed walking (some running) to get to class on time because they were terrified of being tardy and kids who entered my class in tears with nothing because they couldn't get their locker to open. We all slowly learned names of teachers and students and eventually learned our way around the building.

Overall, it was a very successful year, I learned a lot about myself, my students and day-to-day life in a middle school. Although, I like teaching middle school, it is not a time in my life I would repeat. I have a lot of empathy for my students, it is a touch age. I certainly remember my middle school experience and my mom and I still joke to this day that we were both lucky to survive those long two years! :)



After taking some fabulous CCU classes with our wonderful TechTools4Teaching Teachers, I was able to incorporate a lesson into my classroom using one of my You Tube playlists. In 7th grade we have a lesson on marketing and advertising, so I compiled some (school appropriate) TV commercials for my students to watch and comment on. We focused on what was being advertised, to whom was the advertisement directed at and what emotions did they use to get us interested in their commercial. The lesson ended up being fantastic and even days later the students would come into class telling me about other commercials they had seen at home while watching TV.

My students loved this commercial.....and really what's not to love about dancing hamsters, who are dancing to the very popular "Party Rock" song! :)